"I don't understand how Jews in America can be Democrats first and Jewish second and support Israel along the line of just following their president," vented Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa on Boston Herald Radio recently.

So much for the conventional wisdom. Even after this session began two and a half months ago, the general belief at the Texas Capitol was that the Legislature would wait until the next court ruling to begin tackling the perennial school funding issue.

Vagina. Condom. Gun. Climate Change. There. I said (or typed) the words that Republicans cannot say - according to syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.
I don't know about Republicans, but I have no problem saying or using these words.

The Economist magazine recently published "What's gone wrong with Democracy . and what can be done to revive it?" The suggestion is that democracy is some kind of ideal for organizing human conduct. That's a popular misconception.

Starbucks is easy to make fun of on its best days, what with the pretentious names for everyday items, never mind the ridiculously high prices for those same everyday items. Even the cashiers have fancy monikers - barista.

Talk about personal issues. On March 16, before a Texas Senate panel began public hearings for two anti-illegal immigration bills, Sen. Jose Menendez said "these issues of immigration are very personal.

You are, perhaps, already familiar with the Republican List of Things You Cannot Say. If not, here's a quick refresher:
1. "Vagina." That's a definite no-no. Three years ago, Republicans in the Michigan statehouse banned Democratic Rep.

"When a Man's fancy gets astride on his Reason;
When Imagination is at Cuffs with the Senses;
and common Understanding, as well as common Sense,
is Kickt out of Doors; the first Proselyte he makes, is Himself.

March 7 was the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," the first attempt by black protesters to march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery to demand voting rights. Their march was brutally halted by Alabama state troopers acting under the orders of Gov.

How ironic. In his recent acceptance speech as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, Amarillo businessman Tom Mechler promised that under his leadership the Grand Old Party will continue reaching out to racial minorities, an effort his predecessor Steve Munisteri began in 2010.

This is for Gigi, who can't figure out why I don't like Bill Maher.
Gigi, a reader in West Palm Beach, Fla., wrote me noting that I agree with the star of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" on most political issues.

She burned the tapes. Had Richard Nixon burned his tapes, he would have survived Watergate. Sure, there would have been a major firestorm, but no smoking gun. Hillary Rodham was a young staffer on the House Judiciary Committee investigating Nixon.

With a few tweaks to Scripture, herewith today's relevant verse: What therefore President Obama hath joined together, let Republicans put asunder. The letter from 47 Republican senators to Iran's leaders proffering a civics lesson on the U.S.

Tax season is stressful enough. But if you are like countless miserable Americans trapped in the Obamacare 1095-A abyss, it's hell on stilts on a Segway teetering over the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

"But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact," said President Barack Obama in his 2014 State of the Union address. Saying the debate is settled is nonsense, but the president is right about climate change. GlobalChange.

Historically, the Clintons have proved to be politically indestructible. To paraphrase the movie "Aliens," to truly destroy the Clinton Industrial Complex, you'd have to nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

The Marriage and Religious Freedom Act was introduced in the last Congress - in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, with 11 co-sponsors and in the House by Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, with 92 co-sponsors.

"There was a society of men among us, bred up from their youth in the art of proving, by words multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white, according as they are paid. To this society all the rest of the people are slaves.

I'm getting that deja vu feeling as House Republicans these past several days have failed to alter the public's perception that they're incapable of governing. This week marked Episode 2, Season 2 in the series "Homeland Security Face-Off.

Canaries are not formidable birds, but they have their uses. For instance, coal miners learned over a century ago that when canaries gag and drop dead at the bottom of the cage, it's a sign that maybe there's something wrong with the air in the mine.

There are sounds it feels like you've known forever, sounds that have been in your ear so long, it's hard to believe they were ever new. One of those sounds is this:
James Jamerson thumps a heartbeat on the bass.

Call it Amarillo's version of the "Sweet 16." Neither snow nor sleet could stop the flurry of filings Friday for Amarillo City Council, as there are now (barring a change of mind) 16 candidates for the five-member City Council.

A sunset clause? The news from the nuclear talks with Iran was already troubling. Iran was being granted the "right to enrich." It would be allowed to retain and spin thousands of centrifuges. It could continue construction of the Arak plutonium reactor.

Denizens of social media were rankled during Sunday night's Academy Awards telecast when actor Sean Penn made a crack about Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and green cards. Or so we are told by the minders of buzz.